Image Courtesy: Figure
Figure has given its retired humanoid robots an unusual final assignment: jumping autonomously into a furnace filled with molten steel. The robotics company sent older F.02 units to a foundry in Imatra, Finland, where the machines leaped into a 75-ton electric arc furnace and were ultimately melted down.
The unusual disposal operation followed the arrival of Figure’s newer F.03 humanoid robots. Rather than continue maintaining the older machines, the company decided to retire most of the F.02 fleet. Dismantling the robots individually would also have required engineering resources that Figure wanted to devote to its next-generation F.04 platform.
The disposal created an engineering challenge of its own. Figure needed to destroy proprietary hardware while preventing sensitive components and intellectual property from being exposed. Conventional dismantling was therefore unsuitable for much of the fleet. Foundries in the United States and Mexico also declined the operation because the robots contained lithium-ion batteries.
The company eventually found a Finnish foundry willing to take the machines. Before sending them there, engineers had to teach the F.02 robots how to make the dramatic leap into the furnace.
Figure installed large airbags at its San Jose headquarters and trained the robots to jump from a second-floor platform. Stunt performers provided movement references, which engineers used to develop a control model in simulation. The system then had to guide each robot toward a precise landing area inside an unfamiliar facility.
The operation allowed only six furnace cycles over approximately 24 hours. Each cycle provided about 20 minutes before the molten steel cooled enough for a solid crust to form. The furnace’s extreme temperatures and electromagnetic fields also disrupted cameras and other electronics.
Despite those failures, Figure said the robots continued following their trained movement policies. The F.02 units were ultimately consumed by the furnace, while the resulting metal was cast into bars and shipped back to the United States.
Figure plans to machine some of the recovered material into a limited series of commemorative F.02 artifacts. A small number of F.02 robots remain in storage at the company’s headquarters.
The project also served as an unusual demonstration of autonomous control in a harsh industrial environment. Figure emphasized that the robots physically traveled to Finland and performed the jumps themselves rather than appearing through digitally generated footage.
The company introduced its F.03 humanoid platform in October 2025. The newer robot features redesigned sensors and hands developed for Figure’s Helix vision-language-action system, along with softer exterior materials, wireless charging, improved audio, and battery-safety improvements intended for use around people.
For the retired F.02 fleet, however, the final destination was considerably hotter: a steel furnace.
